Reading Group

Thursday, March 22, 2018 - 12:30pm
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For members only | Whitridge Room | $60 for all four sessions, or $15 per session | advance registration required

Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) is a writer whose name is familiar to most educated speakers of English, and most know his wingman James Boswell. The number of people who have read Johnson and/or Boswell is much smaller. This seminar will make a dent in that phenomenon by reading and discussing some of Johnson’s best-known and lesser-known works, plus Boswell’s biography of him, esteemed by many the best biography ever written.

The Writing Life

Rediscover the joy of writing in these fun and instructive drop-in sessions with Speed of Life author Carol Weston. Participants receive a prompt and write freely for ten minutes, after which they are encouraged to share their work with the group. Two prompts per class. Ideal for jumpstarting your writing, generating new ideas, or breaking out of blocks.

The Writing Life

Uptown at Night returns to the Members’ Room with a vibrant new lineup of humorous storytellers and comedians. Fresh, funny and fearless, these talented humorists shine a light on our modern foibles large and small. Please join us for a delightful evening that showcases the Library’s lighter side.

Reading Group

Wednesday, April 4, 2018 - 11:00am
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For Members Only | Whitridge Room | $60 for the set of four sessions (recommended); $15 per session | Advance registration required

Popular seminar leader Dr. James Kraft discusses canonical and lesser-known works by a formidable figure in American literature whose many excellent novels explore complex, controversial places and ideas.

Special Event

April is National Poetry Month! In this one-time-only event, three distinguished poets read poems inspired by New York City. In discussion, they then consider the connections between place and poetic identity.

Reading Group

Educator Blanche Siegal leads informal discussions of the works of the beloved Victorian novelist Anthony Trollope and selected contemporaries. This popular group is now in its seventh season. Tea and light refreshments are served.

This season’s first book is The Kellys and the O’Kellys by Anthony Trollope on Sunday, October 15. A reading list will be provided to registrants.

Climate change is already happening. Author William T. Vollmann, playwright Chantal Bilodeau, and journalist David Wallace-Wells approach its dialogues through different mediums—book-length and magazine journalism, and through theatre. They’ll discuss their approach to gathering stories, their thoughts on why those stories matter, and the challenges they’ve faced when shaping issues of climate change into digestible narratives for the public.

Reading Group

Thursday, April 19, 2018 - 12:30pm
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For members only | Whitridge Room | $60 for all four sessions, or $15 per session | advance registration required

Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) is a writer whose name is familiar to most educated speakers of English, and most know his wingman James Boswell. The number of people who have read Johnson and/or Boswell is much smaller. This seminar will make a dent in that phenomenon by reading and discussing some of Johnson’s best-known and lesser-known works, plus Boswell’s biography of him, esteemed by many the best biography ever written.

Climate change is already happening. Jeff VanderMeer, author of the Southern Reach trilogy, speaks with visual artist Zaria Forman, conservation biologist Gleb Raygorodetsky, and Indigenous leader Victoria Tauli-Corpuz about “transitional environments”—that is, regions of land undergoing change so dramatic they’re barely recognizable. They’ll be joined by a representative from an indigenous community, and together, will discuss how art and activism can bring greater awareness to the communities and environs most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

The Writing Life

Rediscover the joy of writing in these fun and instructive drop-in sessions with Speed of Life author Carol Weston. Participants receive a prompt and write freely for ten minutes, after which they are encouraged to share their work with the group. Two prompts per class. Ideal for jumpstarting your writing, generating new ideas, or breaking out of blocks.

The New York City Book Awards, founded in 1996, honor each year’s best books about the city. This annual ceremony honors the winning authors and publishers. Watch our website in late March for announcements of this year’s honorees.

Reading Group

Wednesday, May 2, 2018 - 11:00am
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For Members Only | Whitridge Room | $60 for the set of four sessions (recommended); $15 per session | Advance registration required

Popular seminar leader Dr. James Kraft discusses canonical and lesser-known works by a formidable figure in American literature whose many excellent novels explore complex, controversial places and ideas.

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Exhibitions

The Library showcases our historic collections and the literary culture of the city with themed public exhibitions on the second floor. Exhibitions are offered for six to twelve months, and both members and nonmembers are welcome to drop by any time the Library is open.